BLOG TOUR, BOOK REVIEW - The Marriage by K.L.Slater

 

                                                                   

                                                                BOOK DESCRIPTION

Ten years ago he killed my son. Today I married him.

Ten years ago my darling son Jesse was murdered and our perfect family was destroyed. My strong, handsome boy, so full of life, became a memory, a photo I carried with me everywhere.

But today I’m finally close to finding happiness again. My ash-blonde hair has been curled into ringlets. Carefully placed white flowers frame my delicate features. The small, drab chapel has been prettied up with white satin, and there are tiny red hearts scattered on the small table where I will soon sign the register with my new husband.

The man who killed my son.

My friends and family can’t understand it. My neighbours whisper in the street whenever I walk past. How can I love a man like Tom?

They don’t really know me at all…

The most unputdownable psychological thriller you’ll read this year from the bestselling author K.L. Slater. If you love The Wife Between Us or Gone Girl, you’ll be totally hooked on The Marriage.

This gripping drama is voiced from the perspectives of multiple,realistic individuals, written in the first and third perspectives and slips back and forth in time. The vast majority of the story is told from the perspectives of two feisty mother's who originated from different sides of the social divide. Bridget and Jill were best friends until the tragic night when Jill's son Tom and Bridget's son Jessie got into a fight outside a nightclub which resulted in Jessie dying and Tom being sentenced to ten years in prison. Whilst he was serving his sentence, Tom volunteered to take part in a reconciliation programme, was reunited with Bridget and over time they fell in love. Knowing how Jill would react to their relationship, Tom and Bridget decided to get married whilst he was still in prison. Jill has been patiently waiting and planning for ten years for her son to be released and return home and is not a happy bunny when she learns that her son has married her former best friend. She is convinced that Bridget has a ulterior motive, she doesn't really love Tom, the marriage is part of Bridget's elaborate plan for revenge. Jill is determined to prove that she is right and her son is in danger but Bridget is just as determined and manipulate as Jill is. Poor Tom finds himself caught in the middle of a battle between the two women that he loves. Then someone that they all know dies and Tom finds himself back in the police spotlight again. Many of the character have hidden secrets and by the time all of the hidden truths are revealed, more than one characters life will be changed.....forever

This is story about families, friendships, secrets, manipulation and control that had a cast of complex, realistic characters, many of whom I didn't trust and thought that their narrative was unreliable. Having never experienced the same situation that Jill found herself in, I can't honestly say how I would react but I don't think I would react in the extreme way that she did. I think I have advocated more of a Bridget style to my parenting than Jill's helicopter, control freak style of parenting. Her attitude might have been due to her upbringing but OMG, I thought that she was really annoying and I struggled to feel any empathy towards her as the story unfolded. I had mixed feelings about Bridget and felt a lot of sympathy for Tom and Coral. My heart went out to poor little Ellis who had to deal with his own emotions whilst all the mind game were being played out around him. 

This is a slow burner that reveals all its secrets gradually, like the unfurling petals of a flower until the beauty of the author's writing is revealed in all it stunning glory. As with all K.L.Sister's books, it's very well written, has a realistic cast of vivid characters and keeps the reader guessing. It's also a story that highlights the hypocrisy and judgement of society when it comes down to the different sexes, age and relationships. I thought this was a very enjoyable, enthralling read and very highly recommended.

                                                                            Author Bio:

For many years, Kim sent her work out to literary agents but never made it off the slush pile. At the age of 40 she went back to Nottingham Trent University and now has an MA in Creative Writing.

Before graduating, she received five offers of representation from London literary agents which was, as Kim says, ‘a fairytale … at the end of a very long road!’

Kim is a full-time writer and lives in Nottingham with her husband, Mac.

https://klslaterauthor.com/

https://www.facebook.com/KimLSlaterAuthor/

https://twitter.com/KimLSlater

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://bit.ly/3oaOO4v

Apple: https://apple.co/3s0zrvy

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3uqFTxE

Google: https://bit.ly/3dLFtLt

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